The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-07

| What the Democratic Party Must Do
1t is stated in the dispatches sent out
from Washington that Mr.. Carlisle and sew
eral other Democratic leaders are having
conferences with the President and the Sec
rotary of the Treasury for the purpose Of
outlining a tariff measure to be introduced
into the House soon after the meeting OF
| Congress 1t is impossible to say whether
or not there is any truth in this statement
1t is no doubt true that Mr.. Carlisle is spend
! ing good deal of time with the President
and that Secretary Fairchild, who, it was
thought, had gone to New York for a
months vacation, is back again in Washing
ton, but the tariff may not be the subject
that is occupying the attention of either the
President, Mr. Carlisle or Mr.. Fairchild.
A day or two ago it was an
nounced that Mr.. Carlisle and
other tariff reformers would agree
to repeal of the tobacco tax provided the
protection Democrats would consent to a
very considerable reduction in the tariff.
1t is doubtful if there was any authority for
an announcement of that kind, and it is
also doubtful if there has been any sort of
understanding among the tariff reform
Democrats as to what course they will pur-
sue next winter on the tariff ISSUE
There is only one tariff reform Con-
gresham who talks frankly on the
Mills, of Texas. Mr.. Mills thinks
that the Democratic party has wasted
enough time with Mr. Randall, and
tkat the only thing to be done now is to
make it so unpleasant for him in the
Democratic party that he will leaveit He
feels satisfied Mr. Randall does not intend
to abandon the position on the tariff that he
has always occupied, and, therefore, he
thinks that it is a grave mistake for the
party to longer recognize him as one of its
leaders, or even as one of its members.
1t will hardly be denied that Mr.. Mills
has common sense on his side. Mr. Randall
is entitled to his opinions but if he cannot
act with his party on the greatest question
before the country he ought not to want,
and he ought not to be permitted, to
obstruct his party in its effort to carry out
its policy with regard to that question.
1t Is certain that the Democratic party
has got to reduce the revenues at the next
session of Congress, and it will either have
to get rid of Mr.. Randall and carry out its
own well-settled policy in making
the reduction or, if it keeps Mr.. Randall, it
will have to abandon its policy and accept
Mr.. Randall's 1t can take its choice, but
if it abandon its policy it will also aban-
don its claim to the confidence of the
people,
II is true that Mr. Randall made slight
concession at the Pennsylvania Democratic
convention a few days ago. but it was so
slight that it was not worth mentioning
Indeed, it is doubtful if he thinks he made
any concession. He interprets the tariff
plank of the platform that was adopted
one way while the faction opposed to him
interprets it another.
The Democratic leaders must make up
their minds what course they are going to
pursue before Congress meets. If the
House doesn't pass a tariff reduction meas
ure-one that will relieve the Treasury of
its surplus-the Democratic party will have
a pretty hard time to elect the next Presi-
dent, even with Mr.. Cleveland as its can
didate